Page 9 of Red Queen (Red Thorns Crew 3)

I growled. “Hurry it up. She can’t get whatever this is up.”

“Fucking hell.”

I heard the tires beneath his truck practically screaming for mercy. We kicked up burnt rubber in our wake as he sped down the road. I held on to Dani as tightly as I could. I placed my forehead against the back of her head, feeling her body rebel against itself. I rubbed her back, digging my fingers into her muscles. I tried desperately to get her to relax. To get her to stop freaking out long enough to let her body take control.

“It’s okay, gorgeous. Relax. Just relax. I know it’s hard, but you have to relax for me. Okay?”

“Oh--fuck--I--ugh.”

I sighed with relief once I heard something splash against my feet. “There it is. Get it up. Don’t worry about anything else. You’re okay.”

Rupert cleared his throat. “She throwing up finally?”

I nodded my head as I brushed Dani’s hair away from her face. And when she was done emptying the contents of her body onto my boots, I rolled her back against me. I wiped away a crusted trail leaking down her chin. I gazed into her tired eyes, and the terror behind them gripped me. I felt helpless. For the first time in my life, I didn’t know what the fuck I could do to make this better. It killed me inside, not being able to help. Not being able to relieve her of this pain and take it upon my shoulders.

I looked deep into her eyes. “You keep fighting, okay? You keep hanging on, and I promise you we’ll get out of this.”

She nodded as tears rushed her eyes. She tried to say something, but I pressed my finger against her lips.

“Save your energy. You're going to need it for the doctors at the hospital.”

She shook her head side to side, but I gripped her chin.

“Yes. You need more than my doctor can provide. Understood?”

Tears lined her eyes and it broke my heart. And the entire time, I kept thinking about what kind of bullshit my father’s death would leave behind. I knew it couldn't spell anything good for myself. Or for John. I mean, who knew the kind of debts my father still had out there. Who knew the kind of people he had been trying to cut his deals with. For all I knew, they’d come after us now. Looking for someone to fulfill the deals my father had created.

If he’s even dead.

I looked back up at the rearview mirror and saw Rupert shooting us nervous glances. He was a fucking rock. Nothing made the man waver. So to see him worried meant that my worry was founded. Dani kept coughing, struggling to breathe. It was as if she was still drowning, even though she wasn’t anywhere near water.

“Can you go any faster, Rupert?”

I felt his engine rev. “I’ll push this truck to the limit, if that’s what it takes.”

“How far out?”

“One stoplight. Which I’m going to blaze through if it turns red.”

I nodded. “Do it. If you get caught, I’ll pay the ticket.”

I tried my damndest to stay in control of my own panic. Because the last thing Dani needed to see every time she looked up at me was a frazzled, worried asshole. But every second that passed by--every cough I heard gurgle up her throat--sent my soul into a frenzied state. I felt more overwhelmed than I ever had in my entire life. I was in control of nothing. All I could do was sit there, hold her, and keep telling her shit would be all right.

When I had no idea.

“It’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine, all right, gorgeous?”

I looked down at her and found her eyes rolling back.

“Rupert!”

His tires skidded. “Pulling up to the emergency entrance now!”

I braced myself as the truck slung me into the back wall. I held Dani tightly against me as my shoulder slammed into the side. I swallowed down the roar of pain that threatened to burst from my throat. I looked outside and saw people watching us as burnt rubber swirled around the vehicle. Rupert leapt out of his truck and ripped the back d

oor open. And before he could get a word in edgewise, I slid off the seat with Dani in my arms.

“You park. I’m finding a fucking doctor.”

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